1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to fasteners for straps, such as wrist watch bands and, specifically, to buckles for straps, such as wrist watch bands.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Fasteners, such as buckles, have long been employed to join the ends of a strap or band, i.e. wrist watch bands, belts and the like, together. Such buckles typically include a frame which is connected to one end of the strap or band. The other or free end of the band engages a portion of the frame to secure the band about the wrist or waist of the user.
Typically, a tongue is pivotally mounted at one of the frame and releasably engages one of a plurality of spaced apertures formed in and extending from the free end of the band. The free end of the band, after engagement with the tongue, passes over the exterior surface of the other end of the band which is joined to the buckle. An additional loop is attached to the other end of the band to secure the free end of the band in place over the exterior surface of the other end of the band.
However, such an additional loop adds to the manufacturing and material costs of the band or strap. Furthermore, even with the loop, the free end of the band is free to move about during use which causes fraying of the free end of the band. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a buckle for joining the ends of a band or strap together which eliminates the need for an additional loop to secure the free end of the band in place after engagement with the buckle.
Several attempts have been made to devise buckles which address these problems. Such buckles include projections mounted on one end of the buckle frame which engage the band or strap or apertures in the band and enable the free end of the band to be passed through the frame and underneath the bottom surface of the other end of the band which is connected to the frame. None of these buckles, however, make use of a pivotal tongue to releasably engage apertures in the band and which, at the same time, enables the free end of the band to be passed through the buckle and secured in place underneath the other end of the band.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a buckle for a band, such as a wrist watch band, which eliminates the need for the conventional loop applied to such bands to secure the free end of the band in place after the free end has engaged the buckle. It would also be desirable to provide such a watch band buckle which is of simple construction. It would also be desirable to provide such a buckle which includes a pivotal tongue to releasably engage one end of the band to join the ends of the band together. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a buckle and a buckle watch band in which the free end of the band is securely held in place without movement thereby preventing any fraying of the free end of the band.